non12tonal

Non12tonal refers to musical compositions that do not adhere to the principles of twelve-tone technique, also known as dodecaphony. Developed by Arnold Schoenberg in the early 20th century, twelve-tone technique involves organizing the twelve pitches of the chromatic scale into a "tone row" or "series," which serves as the basis for the composition. All pitches are then derived from this series, ensuring that no single pitch is emphasized over others.

Music that is non12tonal, therefore, does not follow this strict organizational method. This can encompass a wide range of musical approaches. It may include music that uses atonality, meaning it lacks a tonal center or key, but does so without employing a systematic tone row. Alternatively, non12tonal music could be tonal, employing traditional harmonies and key centers. It might also incorporate other compositional systems or simply rely on the composer's intuition and ear for melodic and harmonic construction. The term essentially serves to distinguish music from works that are explicitly structured using Schoenberg's twelve-tone method. Many composers throughout history and in contemporary music create without utilizing dodecaphonic principles, resulting in a vast and diverse body of non12tonal works.